The Official Student News Source of HSEHS

HSENews

The Official Student News Source of HSEHS

HSENews

The Official Student News Source of HSEHS

HSENews

Renovations: The Little Theatre Reborn

There are some students who may enter the Little Theatre only sparingly, or never, during their years at HSE. Since the Leonard Auditorium was constructed in 1999, it has been the preferred place for classes to congregate for convocations and speeches of all sorts. The fact is, the school is much bigger nowadays than it was in 1967, and a bigger auditorium was eventually needed to compensate for it. 

Be that as it may, the Little Theatre still serves many significant purposes in this school, and it is currently getting some extensive renovations in order to continue to serve those purposes and perhaps become a more frequently used space. The project began over the summer and continues as students are back walking the halls. It’s not entirely clear whether or not the renovating will be done in time for the annual Fall Play to be held there, but the construction time is a result of the scale of the remodeling. 

“Basically, they are gutting the theatre,” drama director Mary Armstrong said. “They are putting in new seats, new carpet, a new curtain, lights [and] sound system. There will be a screen and projector, and there will be updates in regards to the requirements that bring it up to whatever the codes are that have been changed.” 

Armstrong recalled the last round of renovations in the Little Theatre, in the Fall of 1989. That time, additions included new seats, a new lighting system (in the upstairs booth rather than beside the stage), and new curtains, as well as the creation of backstage dressing rooms and an orchestra pit. 

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Even all of that does not match the scale of the 2017 construction, which will also add a lift for the handicapped to access the stage, and a new ground level control room for the sound and lights team. The long-lasting wood paneling is being replaced by cloth and metallic soundproof walls. 

These many changes bring about many emotions for those who have become accustomed to the atmosphere of the Little Theatre, one of the oldest places in the building, which carries decades of memories within its walls. 

“Even though it was an older theatre, it had a very warm, familiar, broken-in feeling to it,” drama director Ethan Mathias said. “It was comfortable because it had been around for so long. I think what I’ll miss the most will be the feeling of sitting in the audience from those chairs and the feeling of the wood behind. We have nice new paneling, but the wood paneling behind was a cool thing to look out from the stage and see.” 

“What I’m excited for most with this new theatre is all the updates to the basic tech theatre stuff,” Mathias said. “Being able to change lights more easily, the fact that our sound crew and lights crew will be located in the same place, closer to the ground and closer to the directors, and will be able to communicate with each other in the same room. And we’ll have a projector in there which will be cool to use, perhaps for some shows in the future.” 

The Fall Play, regardless of location, will run November 16th, 17th, and 18th. That show is still a secret, but HSE Drama is happy to announce that this year’s Spring Musical will be Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Stay tuned to HSE News and HSE Drama for updates on the Drama Club!

 

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